STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK
At nearly three times the size of New York City’s Central Park, Freshkills Park comprises over 1,000 acres of closed landfill and 450 acres of important wetland framed by spectacular views of downtown Manhattan. This award-winning master plan vision by Field Operations for the 2,200-acre park will guide the transformation from landfill to parklands over the next 30 years.
Over 750 acres of the park support active and passive recreation, public event spaces and miles of trails. Early win and pilot projects have focused on providing public access to the interior of the site and showcasing its unusual combination of natural and engineered beauty, including creeks, wetlands, expansive meadows and spectacular vistas of the New York City region, as well as providing much-needed community amenities, such as the playground at Schmul Park. Freshkills Park is host to several pilot programs of urban agriculture (seed harvesting and tree nurseries), scientific research, and wildlife observation. The park is owned and operated by the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and the project is an ongoing and dynamic collaboration with several New York City and State agencies including the Departments of Sanitation, Parks, Transportation and Environmental Conservation and the Native Plants Center.